In signal transmission, light signals are conventionally used for purposes of speeding up of communication, improvement of anti-noise performance and light-weighting of communication equipment. For transmitting and receiving of the light signals, optical connectors to connect optical transmission paths are used. When connecting such optical transmission paths, it may be demanded to connect electric wires simultaneously. For example, with respect to electric wiring for power supply, it is sufficient only to transmit and receive light signals without connecting electric wirings in communication between devices each having an electric power supply individually. However, in case of supplying electric power to a device or an element having no electric power supply, it is necessary ensure electric wirings for the electric power supply other than the optical transmission paths, so that an electric connector is needed to connect the electric wires. Although it is not limited for the electric power supply, an optical and electrical compound connector, which is unified for transmitting and receiving the light signals concurrently with transmitting and receiving electric signals, is effective, when the electric wires including transmission cable for electric signals is used together with the optical transmission cables.
In a conventional optical and electrical compound connector, for example, shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-43934, an optical connection unit and an electric connection unit are provided in a same housing, which perform transmission and reception of the light signals and the electric signals with respect to a plurality of conductive type optical fibers enabling simultaneous transmission of the light signals and the electric signals through core wires of the optical fibers and conductors formed on surfaces of the core wires.
However, in the above mentioned conventional optical and electrical compound connector, since only one electric wiring can be utilized with respect to one conductive type optical fiber, it is necessary to transmit and receive a plurality of conductive type optical fivers individually when a plurality of systems of light signals and electric signals. Thus, there is a problem that a work for connecting the connector with the optical fibers is troublesome.